Semester GPA vs cumulative GPA comes down to one question: which courses go into the sum. Your semester GPA (some schools say term GPA) counts only the courses you took that term. Your cumulative GPA counts every graded course in your whole program, and it is worked out from the totals, not by averaging your semester GPAs.
At the schools cited here, both use the same formula. What changes is the set of courses, and a few school rules, such as repeats and withdrawals, that touch only the cumulative number.
The formula both GPAs use
For every course, multiply the grade’s points by the course’s credit hours. That gives the course’s quality points (some schools say grade points). Then:
GPA = total quality points ÷ total credit hours attempted for a letter grade (Wyoming’s wording)
The University of Wyoming’s GPA page defines the semester GPA with the same formula as the cumulative GPA, applied to one term. The University of Arizona’s registrar puts it this way: “A term GPA reflects only the courses taken in that term”, while a cumulative GPA covers all courses in your career program.
Wyoming’s page has its own example: 14 credit hours and 37 quality points give 37 ÷ 14 = 2.643.
Worked example: two semesters
Made-up example, on a scale with A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and F = 0.
Fall semester:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 4 | B | 12 |
| English | 3 | A | 12 |
| History | 3 | B | 9 |
| Statistics | 3 | C | 6 |
| Total | 13 | 39 |
Fall GPA: 39 ÷ 13 = 3.00.
Spring semester:
| Course | Credits | Grade | Quality points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 3 | A | 12 |
| Psychology | 3 | A | 12 |
| Spanish | 3 | B | 9 |
| Total | 9 | 33 |
Spring GPA: 33 ÷ 9 = 3.666…, or 3.67.
Why you cannot average your semester GPAs
The average of 3.00 and 3.67 is about 3.33. But that is not your cumulative GPA, because fall had 13 credits and spring only 9. Add the totals instead:
(39 + 33) ÷ (13 + 9) = 72 ÷ 22 = 3.2727…, or 3.27.
The bigger semester pulls the cumulative GPA toward its own number. Averaging the two GPAs gives the right answer only by luck, unless both terms have the same number of credits.
How much one semester can move your cumulative GPA
The more credits you already have, the less one semester moves the cumulative number.
Made-up example: you have 60 credits at a 2.80 cumulative GPA, which is 168 quality points. You take 15 credits next semester and earn a 3.60 semester GPA, which is 54 quality points.
New cumulative GPA: (168 + 54) ÷ (60 + 15) = 222 ÷ 75 = 2.96.
A strong semester at 3.60 moved the cumulative GPA by 0.16. You can also work backward. To reach a 3.00 cumulative after those 15 credits, you need 3.00 × 75 = 225 quality points in total, so 225 − 168 = 57 points this semester. That is 57 ÷ 15 = 3.80 as a semester GPA.
The GPA Calculator does both directions: add your past credits and current GPA, and it shows the new cumulative GPA, or what you need next term to reach a target.
Repeated courses: where the two GPAs can split
Retaking a course is where school rules make the biggest difference, and they differ a lot. These are three published examples, not a general rule:
- University of Wyoming: for a first repeat, only the second credit and grade is used in the cumulative GPA. If you repeat a course more than once, only the last one counts. If the retake earns a W, S or U, the earlier grade stands (except an S or U repeating an S or U).
- University of Memphis: the Memphis GPA page says the first attempts of courses that have been repeated are excluded from the cumulative GPA.
- University of Arizona: how a repeated course affects the GPA differs by academic program, and the page notes the rule was updated for courses repeated in Fall 2025 and later.
Made-up example: you have 30 credits and 84 quality points, a 2.80 cumulative GPA, and that includes an F in a 3-credit course. You retake it and earn a B, worth 9 points.
- If only the new attempt counts, the F’s 3 credits come out and the B’s 3 credits go in. Credits stay at 30 and points become 84 + 9 = 93. The cumulative GPA is 93 ÷ 30 = 3.10.
- If a school counted both attempts, credits would become 33 and points 93. The cumulative GPA would be 93 ÷ 33 = 2.8181…, or 2.82.
Check your own catalog for which rule applies to you.
What stays out of both at two schools
At these two schools, some marks carry no grade points, so their credits stay out of the division:
- Wyoming does not count credit hours with W, S or U, and leaves out an I (incomplete) while it stands.
- Arizona leaves out Pass/Fail classes and classes transferred from another college or university.
So at Wyoming a W does not lower your GPA. Other schools set their own rules for W grades.
Check your school’s point scale
The examples above use whole points: A = 4, B = 3 and so on. Some schools add pluses and minuses, and the values differ. Memphis, for one, gives an A- 3.84 and a B+ 3.33. Made-up example: on that scale an A- in a 3-credit course is 3.84 × 3 = 11.52 quality points. Use the scale your registrar publishes, or the grading scale page for common ones.
Semester GPA vs cumulative GPA FAQ
Is cumulative GPA the average of my semester GPAs?
No, not unless every semester had the same credits. Add up all quality points and all credits, then divide. 72 ÷ 22 = 3.27 in the example above, not the 3.33 you get by averaging 3.00 and 3.67.
Does my semester GPA count toward my cumulative GPA?
Yes. The cumulative GPA is built from the same courses, added to every earlier term’s courses. Each semester’s quality points and credits go into the running totals.
Why did my cumulative GPA barely change after a good semester?
Because it is weighted by credits. With 60 credits behind you, a 15-credit semester at 3.60 moves a 2.80 cumulative GPA only to 2.96.
Does retaking a class replace the grade in my cumulative GPA?
It depends on your school. Wyoming uses only the latest graded attempt (a W on the retake leaves the old grade in place), Memphis excludes the first attempt, and Arizona’s rule depends on your program. Your catalog has the answer for you.
Do W grades count in my GPA?
Not at Wyoming, which does not count credit hours with W, S or U. Your own registrar’s page gives your school’s rule.
Related tools and guides
Any GPA you work out here is an estimate, not an official result.
Sources
- GPA Information, University of Wyoming Registrar
- Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation, University of Arizona Registrar
- GPA, University of Memphis Registrar
Tools for this guide
- GPA Calculator: Calculate your term and cumulative college GPA.
- Semester Grade Calculator: Combine quarter grades and a final into a semester grade.
- Grading Scale: See how percents turn into letter grades, and set your own scale.
More guides
- How to Raise Your GPA
- What Is a Good GPA?
- Does an 89.5 Round Up to a 90? How Grade Rounding Works
- How Colleges Recalculate Your High School GPA
- The German Grading System Explained, from 1.0 to 6.0
- How GPA Works in Canada: University of Toronto Examples
- What Do I Need on My Final to Pass?
- How UC GPA Is Calculated, Step by Step
- Minimum GPA to Graduate College: Is 2.0 Enough?
This guide is general information. Your school's rules come first. Found a mistake? Tell us.